Mental Ill Families

1878 Words4 Pages

Throughout history, mental illness has changed dramatically in the government and its people’s eye. Back in the day, many people who were diagnosed with any type of mental illness would be institutionalized and much of the blame was taken by the parents. Nowadays, mental health is seen from many viewpoints and there are many different options for families to choose instead of simply instituting the mental ill patients. Not only are the mental ill patients effected by such disorders, but the family members play a huge part in deciding factors for the patients. If a supportive family is not in the picture, then it is a lot harder for one with such disorder to heal properly. Many caregivers even suffer from many types of stress such as emotional, …show more content…

Since the caregiver is spending all of their time taking care of their child or children and possibly even working outside of home, the caretaker has to be in great shape. Taking care of yourself while also taking care of a mental ill patient is very difficult, but very important. One of the most powerful types of physical strain is related to the amount of stigma and worry a family member has for the mental ill child (Lefley, H. P., 1996). Sleep and eating schedules for the caretaker often get off track as well and the lack of these two important activities in life can put a weight on the body. One of the best suggestions for taking care of yourself is to talk to your general doctor and possible see a therapist yourself to deal with the stress and worry in a healthy way. Likewise, another type of physical harm when dealing with a child with mental illness is the violence factor. The sicker a mental ill patient is, the more common it is for them to partake in violent actions, especially against a caretaker (Lefley, H. P., 1996). Many parents state that the best way to handle this type of situation is to avoid tension within the household. Also, it is very important as a family member to separate the violence from emotions and realize that the child is …show more content…

Obviously, when dealing with any sick family members you spend a lot of money from doctor visits. Usually when dealing with a mentally ill child, doctor visits are a lot more frequent than an average kid, which makes it more expensive each month or week the ill child has to check up with a doctor. Another major issue is timing. Since the caregiver is with the ill child most of the day, the caregiver has little or no time to work at a job to earn money (Tessler, R., & Gamache, G., 2000). It is especially an issue if the parent or caregiver is working alone. Many mental illnesses also require medications which cost additionally money when going to a doctor visit. Not only are patients with mental illness seeing doctors, but almost all have to see a type of therapist or psychologist as well. There visits are definitely not cheap and probably cost more than a doctor checkup visit alone. With all that being said, this does not include if the patient has to be institutionalized or hospitalized for a long period of time. Even if the government pays for some of the stay, the parents or caregivers still have plenty of money they have to take out of their

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